A pair of new programs launched by Carleton University’s Canada-India Centre for Excellence (CICE) and its partners in India will help Canada work toward promoting the empowerment of women and girls, and on enhancing economic links between the two countries.

The Canada-India Acceleration Program (CIAP) for female technology entrepreneurs will provide seed funding, access to business incubation services, mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, connections to large corporations and other support for 100 women-led tech startups — 50 from each country — over the next five years.

Additionally, the Canada-India Smart Cities Centre of Excellence for Capacity Building (CI-SCECB) project will tap into Carleton’s expertise in areas such as wastewater treatment, urban infrastructure and municipal governance to train Indian city planners.

By partnering with Carleton University, India will be able to create new avenues of growth, better collaboration, jobs for youth and develop a strong entrepreneurial culture.

“We cannot ignore half of our world’s population as we strive to find solutions to the problems of today and create the jobs of tomorrow. Canadian companies are increasingly exploring India as a destination for investment, and we are proud to participate in a partnership that will help even more startups expand beyond Canada’s borders.”